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Title: Optimization of Cation Exchange for the Separation of Actinium-225 from Radioactive Thorium, Radium-223 and Other Metals

Abstract

Actinium-225 (225Ac) can be produced with a linear accelerator by proton irradiation of a thorium (Th) target, but the Th also underdoes fission and produces 400 other radioisotopes. No research exists on optimization of the cation step for the purification. The research herein examines the optimization of the cation exchange step for the purification of 225Ac. The following variables were tested: pH of load solution (1.5–4.6); rinse steps with various concentrations of HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, and combinations of HCl and HNO3; various thorium chelators to block retention; MP50 and AG50 resins; and retention of 20–45 elements with different rinse sequences. The research indicated that HCl removes more isotopes earlier than HNO3, but that some elements, such as barium and radium, could be eluted with ≥2.5 M HNO3. The optimal pH of the load solution was 1.5–2.0, and the optimized rinse sequence was five bed volumes (BV) of 1 M citric acid pH 2.0, 3 BV of water, 3 BV of 2 M HNO3, 6 BV of 2.5 M HNO3 and 20 BV of 6 M HNO3. The sequence recovered >90% of 225Ac with minimal 223Ra and thorium present.

Authors:
ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
OSTI Identifier:
1529689
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1542283
Report Number(s):
BNL-211829-2019-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 1420-3049; MOLEFW; PII: molecules24101921
Grant/Contract Number:  
Core funding; Workforce development; SC0012704
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Molecules
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Molecules Journal Volume: 24 Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 1420-3049
Publisher:
MDPI AG
Country of Publication:
Switzerland
Language:
English
Subject:
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; Lanthanum; Rhodium; AG50; MP50; fission products; Actinium-225; 225Ac; 223Ra; 227Th; thorium

Citation Formats

Fitzsimmons, Jonathan, Foley, Bryan, Torre, Bryna, Wilken, Megan, Cutler, Cathy S., Mausner, Leonard, and Medvedev, Dmitri. Optimization of Cation Exchange for the Separation of Actinium-225 from Radioactive Thorium, Radium-223 and Other Metals. Switzerland: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.3390/molecules24101921.
Fitzsimmons, Jonathan, Foley, Bryan, Torre, Bryna, Wilken, Megan, Cutler, Cathy S., Mausner, Leonard, & Medvedev, Dmitri. Optimization of Cation Exchange for the Separation of Actinium-225 from Radioactive Thorium, Radium-223 and Other Metals. Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24101921
Fitzsimmons, Jonathan, Foley, Bryan, Torre, Bryna, Wilken, Megan, Cutler, Cathy S., Mausner, Leonard, and Medvedev, Dmitri. Sat . "Optimization of Cation Exchange for the Separation of Actinium-225 from Radioactive Thorium, Radium-223 and Other Metals". Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24101921.
@article{osti_1529689,
title = {Optimization of Cation Exchange for the Separation of Actinium-225 from Radioactive Thorium, Radium-223 and Other Metals},
author = {Fitzsimmons, Jonathan and Foley, Bryan and Torre, Bryna and Wilken, Megan and Cutler, Cathy S. and Mausner, Leonard and Medvedev, Dmitri},
abstractNote = {Actinium-225 (225Ac) can be produced with a linear accelerator by proton irradiation of a thorium (Th) target, but the Th also underdoes fission and produces 400 other radioisotopes. No research exists on optimization of the cation step for the purification. The research herein examines the optimization of the cation exchange step for the purification of 225Ac. The following variables were tested: pH of load solution (1.5–4.6); rinse steps with various concentrations of HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, and combinations of HCl and HNO3; various thorium chelators to block retention; MP50 and AG50 resins; and retention of 20–45 elements with different rinse sequences. The research indicated that HCl removes more isotopes earlier than HNO3, but that some elements, such as barium and radium, could be eluted with ≥2.5 M HNO3. The optimal pH of the load solution was 1.5–2.0, and the optimized rinse sequence was five bed volumes (BV) of 1 M citric acid pH 2.0, 3 BV of water, 3 BV of 2 M HNO3, 6 BV of 2.5 M HNO3 and 20 BV of 6 M HNO3. The sequence recovered >90% of 225Ac with minimal 223Ra and thorium present.},
doi = {10.3390/molecules24101921},
journal = {Molecules},
number = 10,
volume = 24,
place = {Switzerland},
year = {Sat May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Sat May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24101921

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Cited by: 4 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Flow chart illustrating the sequence of studies reported in the manuscript.

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Works referenced in this record:

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